LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with nearly 800 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. It is also the oldest of the major social media networks, being launched in May 2003, nine months before Facebook. LinkedIn is a crucial tool for finding and posting jobs. Around 45 million people use the platform to search for jobs each week, and 4 people are hired every minute.
If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, then go create one immediately. If you already have one, these 7 steps will ensure that your profile is the best it can be.
1. Have a Carefully Crafted and Targeted Headline
Your headline is like the marketing tagline for your profile. It conveys information on how you can help a potential employer or customer in just a few words. Aim for a headline that has at most 12 words. LinkedIn allows for 220 characters to be used in your headline, and a symbol, such as a vertical bar (|), is usually used to separate elements that you want to emphasize.
If you are looking for jobs, showcase in the headline your skills and expertise, past job titles related to the jobs you are pursuing, and value you bring to the employer. Use key terms that recruiters will most likely use to find you.
2. Invest in a High-Quality Professional Photo
Although this should go without saying, many people make mistakes when it comes to their LinkedIn professional photo. You should not use your laptop webcam, crop photos with other people in them, or use old selfies for your phone. Your professional photo needs to be a truly professional photo. Invest in a photographer, get dressed in your best suit, put your smile on and get in front of that camera. Ask friends and family which photo they like best and upload it.
We do live in a society where the book is judged by its cover, and if your photo is unprofessional, it will make your entire profile look unprofessional as well.
3. Add a Personalized Background Picture
Many people skip this step, but the background picture is a great place to show more of you and inject some personality into your profile. You can upload a picture of you at a speaking engagement or conference, display your business logo, or add something that elevates your personal brand. Take a couple of minutes to browse online or create your own banner picture. This can really make a difference in elevating your LinkedIn profile.
4. Write a Memorable Summary
This is the part where most people struggle. It can be challenging to write a summary of your work, but it is crucial that you do so since it allows people to learn about you in an effective and memorable way. In the summary, you want to include the motivation behind your work, the results you’ve achieved, pain points you’ve solved, and your most noteworthy strengths and accomplishments.
A great summary makes it easy for a recruiter to see what you’ve done, or for someone you’ve reached out to to accept an informational interview.
5. Have a Well-tailored Experience Section
This is basically your CV.
One common mistake is to list your responsibilities like in the job description. Instead, make sure to list your accomplishments. Try to give numbers as much as possible. For example, instead of saying “Generated sales”, try saying “Generated $1 Million annual sales exceeding target KPIs by 35%”. Ideally, give 3 or 4 points for each of your experiences.
6. Add some Appealing Media
Under the featured media you can add more information that builds a fuller picture of your background. You can insert video, blog posts, PDFs, or presentations – whatever is relevant to your field of expertise. Look through your portfolio, select some of your best work, and upload them.
7. Ask for Recommendations
What others say about you carries more weight than what you say about yourself. The recommendation section is one of the last sections in the profile where you can really add value. Make sure to ask for some recommendations from people that know you well and can speak to your accomplishments. If you know the recommender well, feel free to draft a short sample of the recommendation and send it to them. This can make the workload easier for them.
The bottom line
LinkedIn is a great place to connect with recruiters, colleagues, and other people in your industry, as well as to find jobs. To create an attractive profile, make sure that you have a great headline, take a professional photo, add a background photo, compile a summary of your experiences, create an achievement-focused experience section, add some media, and ask for recommendations. By optimizing the profile, you make it easier for recruiters to find you and for contacts to accept requests for informational interviews.
Tringa Krasniqi holds an MBA degree from The George Washington University. She is the founder and consultant at Ivy Journey, an educational consulting firm for gaining admission to universities and winning scholarships.
Image: Unsplash
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